Mississippi says wild hogs are 'modern-day locusts' as damage tops $3 billion nationwide

Wild hogs are tearing through Mississippi farms and properties, and the cost keeps rising.

State officials say the damage is much more than a minor nuisance. It has become a growing economic problem for farmers and rural communities already operating on thin margins.

What's happening?

The price tag in Mississippi alone is estimated at $60 million to $80 million each year, Mississippi Today reported. Those losses come from crops being ruined and property being damaged by feral swine.

Their reach has expanded well beyond one state. In the 1980s, wild hogs were found in 17 states; today, they are found in 35.

Recent research puts the nationwide damage from wild hogs at more than $3 billion.

Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson said, "Farmers have enough stress as it is. They don't need this modern-day locust."

Why does it matter?

When wild hogs consume crops and tear up fields, the losses fall directly on farmers, landowners, and the communities that depend on agricultural income.

That kind of destruction can make it harder for farming communities to remain financially stable. Many already face weather-related risks, rising costs, and narrow profit margins, so another major source of damage only adds to the pressure.

The national figure shows this is not just an isolated local issue. A species that has expanded from 17 states to 35 over just a few decades can drive mounting costs tied to food production, land management, and property protection.

When rural economies are repeatedly forced to absorb these losses, the effects can reach beyond the farms themselves, contributing to local economic strain and pressure on the systems that help keep food supplies dependable.

What's being done?

Mississippi officials are drawing more attention to the scale of the wild hog problem. Updated research shows the damage is measurable and costly.

Individual farmers are using things like expensive fences and traps to keep the hogs at bay, and Mississippi is the only state to offer a program to farmers to provide education and traps to help keep them off agricultural property. However, the only way to truly curb the larger population is by killing them, and we've yet to find a good way to commit the kind of resources needed toward a hunting program of the scale needed. 

States and agricultural agencies can point to tens of millions in annual losses in Mississippi and billions nationally to justify coordinated action.

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